Saturday, August 17, 2013

Farmers Markets Tokyo!

I just have to blog about this, it is so great. Joan over at Japan Farmers Markets keeps telling everyone about these places where you can get fresh produce directly from farmers, from all over. Her blog is terrific. And she is doing it too, do read up if you want tips about organic farming, she's an expert. And she does all of this in the western area of Tokyo, an hour or so from your regular Yamanote line hangouts.

At Nippori you can join the obon dancing on Saturday night, until 8pm. East side of the station.

Good chance btw to learn more about the hard lessons of farmers in Tohoku since March 11, 2011.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Welcome to the most farmers-market-y weekend in Tokyo! Markets abound
making choices of which one to attend a bit tricky. I'm a fan of the Nippori Market for its petite size, excellent food options (try the manju!), and lovely vegetables, and Koenji is no slouch, either. The UN University Night Market,
though, is the hands-down winner for summer evening grocery shopping
fun - music, good food, and a festive atmosphere - for the whole family
or a fascinating first date. The possibilities are endless!

A gem of a market hidden away in one of Tokyo's high-end shopping
districts offering seasonal favorites in a way that feels homey yet
rather boutique-y.

11am to 5pm

Map
*The Gyre Market schedule has been a bit wonky of late, so I'll update this as I get confirmation.

Nippori Farmer's Market
Saturday, August 17th and Sunday, August 18th
10am to 5pm
A great market in the city found with a little help from friends,
this one is sure to not disappoint. My first visit was wonderful despite
cold temperatures and a smattering of rain. Plus, Tohoku growers are on
hand sharing their best-of-the-best, so come on out to be part of the
recovery and get something good to eat.
No map, but just head out the east exit and look for the green awnings!

Based on my first visit I'd say this
effort is a successful one. The Nippori Farmer's Market is small –
about 30 to 40 vendors – but very pleasant with a remarkably good
selection of items. Fresh vegetables, rice, cheese, seedlings, baked
goods, fruit, and prepared foods to be eaten on the spot as well as
those for snacking were all on hand. (I recommend without reservation
Tatsuko Onaya's homemade manju and Ringo no Hana's steaming bowls of
hearty tonjirou. We sat down
for much-needed breaks at their respective tents to enjoy our food
and take in the atmosphere of the market.) Vendors from Hokkaido,
Niigata, Gunma, Aomori, and Aizu Wakamatu sported everything from
potatoes to fish to apple vinegar to cabbage to nanohana to dried
natto and bath salts.

This month's special feature, too, was
a booth sponsored by EAC, a division of Asahi Industries (not the
beer) where visitors could bring samples of items they wanted tested
for radioactive cesium. Folks brought everything from soil to water to
bread to
rice to homegrown vegetables for testing. Interestingly enough, food
items tested relatively low amounts while some soil samples came in with
higher numbers. (I'll be doing a longer piece on this later, by
the way.) One customer tested the shoes he'd worn that day to find
nothing could be detected. (To be fair, the machine used that day
couldn't detect anything below 10 becquerels.)

Certainly, the personal tour given me
by Atsuko, the market manager, set the stage for a great visit, but
in the end as always, it is the vendors that make the experience. To
a person they were warm and welcoming, nearly all had samples and
were ready to talk about their wares more in-depth. The atmosphere
they created reminded me why small markets are sometimes preferable to
large ones. The opportunity to talk with vendors is better since I
don't feel like I'm taking up too much time or space, and there's
more opportunity to peruse the market itself. The overall selection
might be
smaller – only one person selling strawberries, for example – but
I don't really mind. It is sometimes nice to have only a few good
things to choose from rather than having to search out the best of
ten.

Started a little less than two years
ago, the Nippori Farmer's Market has a homespun quality that is a
delight to find in a big city. Vendor's chatted with each other as
well as customer's, and even danced a bit at their stalls when the
musical performances started. The presence of growers and producers
from Aizu Wakamatsu, Miyagi, and Ibaraki mean, too, it's a good
chance to support Tohoku as the region continues to rebuild and
reimagine itself. Held monthly on both Saturday and Sunday visitors
are sure to find plenty of good things to eat and explore. I know
I'll be back.

Koenji Farmer's Market
Saturday, August 17th
A new market I spotted while riding the train on a Saturday morning into
the city center. That circle of red awnings in front of the Za-Koenji Public Theatre could only mean one thing! Sure enough, I found a small group of area growers and producers, and the bounty surely continues!
11am - 5pmMap

A unique event in the heart of the city that a vegetable loving geek like me wouldn't
miss for the world. What better way to get the healthy vitamins and
minerals you need to sustain an evening of karaoke and izakaya hopping?

A massive weekend affair that is great fun and features a variety of
fruits and vegetables and prepared products from all over Japan. Plus,
there's a most excellent selection of food trucks offering everything
from salad to zingy curry to roast chicken to falafel!

Yurakucho Farmer's Market
Every Saturday and Sunday
Smaller than the UNU Market, Yurakacho features a particular region of
Japan each week along with an excellent selection of seasonal fruit and
vegetables. Growers from nearby Chiba, Kamakura, and Saitama are also on
hand to help fill the larder.
11am to 5pm
Directions: Turn left out of Yurakacho station and cross the courtyard
toward Tokyo Kouku Keitan. Look for the fun under the overhang!